This winter, rather than staying home for my 7 week (!) break from school, I took the opportunity to stay with my uncle, a producer at the French bureau of the Associated Press. Tracking down Americans outside the Gallerie Lafayette to interview, watching the Europe edition of BBC and Al Jareeza on TV, and speaking (basic) French with shop owners, I was a bit of a local. Visiting museums daily, taking pictures and stopping for a crepe every chance I got, I was a tourist.

My second day staying at my aunt and uncle’s was a Sunday. I woke up at about 10:30, had some breakfast (an almond croissant, see the picture!), and my aunt told me people were coming over at around 3. Why? I thought, is that a late brunch? An early dinner? The guests brought macaroons, delicious, delicate sandwich cookies; cakes and tarts. We served more cake and tea. Later I learned this strange mid-afternoon rendez-vous was “gouter” which means to taste. In this case, gouter means tea time.

The next time I encountered this gouter concept was when I picked my cousin up from school. Every child gets a greeting from their parent or nanny, then promptly receives a snack, which according to my cousin, has to have chocolate. Walking him back, every kid rolling by on their razor scooter, skipping ahead of the adult behind them or wheeling in a stroller, is holding a snack. And this snack is also called a gouter.

So this word represented my trip, because I got my own taste of Paris and because, of course, I ate a lot of gouters. Here is a list of my top Paris tastes.

Best street food: crepe au nutella – soft thin dough with warm, creamy chocolate, this snack melts in your mouth and is one of the cheapest things you can buy in Paris!

Best breakfast: almond croissant with cafe au creme – the croissant is as sweet as you can handle in the morning, and coffee is a French staple.

Most important word to know: Bonjour – every time you walk in to a store or restaurant, or need to approach anyone for any reason, it’s necessary to say hello to be polite. Then ask what you need to ask. Saying goodbye (au revoir) is nice too, but not as important since by that time, you’ve probably found out what you needed to know.

Must-sees:

Eiffel Tower at night, the view is amazing. However, what you don’t see until you get there is the huge line and the wait for the elevator. Definitely book ahead.

Notre Dame – one of the oldest churches, beautifully built and free! Try to go when the sun is out, it shines through the stained glass and brings the dark church to life.

Seine River tour – a good introduction to the city that requires no walking!

The Louvre – this museum is amazing. You can’t see it all in one day, so get a map and try to see the most famous exhibits like the Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo and the Spynx. The architecture of the building alone is spectacular, the art is like you’re getting spoiled.

Hang out in the

Luxembourg garden

Carousel de Louvre, a shopping center/nice cafe under the Louvre

McDonalds (or as the French say, McDo), they’re classy in France

Tuileries garden outside the Louvre

Saint Sulpice square – an area with a beautiful church and large fountain, plenty of benches. It’s not too touristy and there are plenty of nice shops and cafes around. Plus the streets are cobble stone! A great place to get lost (I did, but not on purpose…)

More underrated spots

The Pompidou museum and the surrounding area, a great mix of old Paris and modern art, and the view from the top is amazing

Rodin sculpture garden

Les invalides – home of the army museum and where Napoleon Bonaparte was buried, you can walk around the exterior and go into the church for free

The Catacombs

Les arts decoratifs – museum next to the Louvre with new exhibits every few months